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Mixed bag

Aston Villa’s weekend opponents Blackburn Rovers have suffered the significant blow of having TWO players ruled out for the rest of the season, this week.

Both Dominic Samuel and Ben Gladwin have been effectively ruled out for the foreseeable future by manager Tony Mowbray, who was revealing his Rovers team news ahead of the visit of Villa to Ewood Park.

Samuel, formerly of Reading, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury against the Royals before the international break and it means the striker will almost certainly miss the remainder of the campaign.

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Aston Villa news

He’ll join former Swindon and QPR midfielder Gladwin on the sidelines - he hasn’t played this calendar year because of a knee injury, and Mowbray doesn’t expect him to feature this season, either.

“It’s tough for Ben and Dominic. Neither of them are going to play this season I would suggest. It’s a tough road, a long road, but after the operations they know their recovery starts then,” Mowbray told the club’s official site.

“They’ll be coming in, working in the gym, being in and around the lads, which is important. They will have some long days trying to get fit.

“It’s a tough life being injured and away from the team. I wish them well, we’ll support them and hopefully there will be some positivity and feel good factor around the club because we’re winning games.”

Neil's annoyance

The Bluebirds boss says he made an enquiry with Chelsea with a view to taking him on loan for the season and was not told when Abraham went to Villa Park.

And he reckons the England Under 21 would have been in his element in a Cardiff team known for its high tempo, direct approach.

Instead he is back in the Championship, having spent last term in the top flight with Swansea, set to make his debut for Villa.

Warnock told Standard Sport : “I wanted Tammy Abraham from day one. I spoke to Eddie Newton (Chelsea’s loan player technical coach) about it, but he ended up at Aston Villa.

“I was really disappointed they didn’t even come back to me. I thought I at least deserved a phone call saying ‘sorry Neil, he’s not joining’.

“It might have been because our deadline was three weeks before the Championship’s.

“Perhaps they weren’t sure at the time and then he ends up leaving at the end of the month, when only a move to a Championship club is possible. But even then, a phone call would have been better and shown a bit of class.

“Tammy would have been my main man in the Premier League – surely that would have been better for him? I don’t understand it. Surely they would want him playing in the Premier League?

“I don’t think it was a question over the size of the loan fee - we would have paid it. I just the felt the way we played, he would have enjoyed it and had an impact.

"I missed out on a few players waiting for him too, which disappointed me. But that’s life.”

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Heading out

Ritchie De Laet is reportedly set to be offered an Aston Villa exit route by Melbourne City.

Reports in Australia say that De Laet, who has featured twice for Villa in the Carabao Cup this season, is poised to join Melbourne in a move which would see him reunite with former coach Warren Joyce.

De Laet came through at Royal Antwerp when Joyce was head coach there - and the defender joined Manchester United from Stoke City in 2009 on the recommendation of then United under-21 coach Joyce.

It is said that De Laet, who has a year left to run on his contract, will move to Melbourne on loan.

Villa sent striker Ross McCormack on loan to the A-League side last season.

De Laet has made 14 appearances for Villa since arriving in 2016.

Should a move to Melbourne go through, he would fill the club's fifth visa spot.